USA > Vermont > Bennington County > History of Bennington County, Vt. : with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 64
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DALaSUA & Co Syrar
leha! & Malling
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of Governor Farnham, to which he was appointed during the incumbency of that official. For five years Colonel Scott served as captain of Company K. First Regiment V. S. G., and was appointed to Governor Farnham's staff in 1 880.
W TELLING, CHARLES E. The father of the subject of this sketch, whose name was Edward M. Welling, was born in Novia Scotia, and came with his parents who settled in Pittstown, N. Y., in the early years of the pres- ent century. His ancestors were from Wales, England. He learned the car- penter trade, and followed that occupation for many years. In 1821, at Hoo- sick, N. Y, he was married to Amelia Russell. Three years later, in 1824, he moved to North Bennington, then called " Sages City ;" soon after he pur- chased the Paran Creek grist- mill, saw- mill and a small farm. He built ex- tensively for himself and others in the vicinity, churches, school-houses, dwell- ings, and mercantile buildings, and in 1833 removed the old mill and built the substantial stone mill and saw-mill which are standing monuments to his mem- ory. He continued the manufacture of lumber and milling, and did a success- ful business ; and is remembered as one of the most thrifty, energetic, and straightforward men of the town. The fruit of the above marriage was two children, Charles Edward Welling, the subject of this sketch, who was born on October 16, 1823, at Hoosick, N. Y., and a daughter, Evaline A., who was born in January, 1827, and who became the wife of Charles Thatcher. jr.
Charles E. Welling from early boyhood was brought up to such work as his father was engaged in, on buildings, in the mills and shop and on the farm when not in school. In 1844, with his father, he engaged in the manufacture of potato starch, occupying part of the stone-mill until in 1849, when owing to the almost entire failure of the potato crop by rot, it was abondoned. In 1850, on the 9th day of April, he was married to Sarah D. Thomas, the daughter of E. H. Thomas, then of North Bennington, but formerly of Brattleboro, Vt. The same year in which he was married Mr. Welling engaged in the mercan - tile business at North Bennington, in partnership with Charles Thatcher, jr., who came to North Bennington at this time, and which continued in active operation from this time until the year 1876, a period of some twenty-six years. In 1853 the farmers started a union store which divided the trade and discouraged the firm in that direction. The milling business was depressed also, and Mr. Welling's love for mechanical work resulted in his proposal to purchase and convert the mill into a paper-mill, and he to take that part of the business. Machinery was purchased and started in 1854. Without previous experience in the business, and the increasing depression from this time on in all manufacturing, which culminated in 1857 in the well remembered general crash, in which it was said more than half the paper manufacturers failed, they struggled on, and through resolute, determined and persistent effort the crisis was passed, and success finally achieved. In 1867 additions and im-
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HISTORY OF BENNINGTON COUNTY.
provements were made and entire new machinery throughout put in, largely increasing the pro luction of the mill. It is a well-known fact that their busi- ness was quite extensive and successful, and that both members were men of the strictest integrity of character and worth About 1870 the firm disposed of its stock of goods, and in the spring of 1875 Mr. Welling bought D. Hunter & Co.'s paper-mill situated about two miles away, put in new machinery, and with his son, Edward D., ran that independent of the firm. In 1876 Mr. Well- ing succeeded the firm, and in 1877 the Stark Paper Company was organized and C. E. Welling elected its president, and he has held the position to the present time. This company operated both mills, and it may in truth be called an enterprise of the Welling family, as Charles E. Welling and his son are the owners of the greater part of the stock and direct its business manage- ment almost exclusively.
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While Mr. Welling has always been a very busy man, occupied constantly with the many cares and details of his manifold interests and enterprises, he has, nevertheless, like the good citizen, found some time to devote to the gen- eral welfare of the town and county, although he has by no means been a seeker after political honors, there is scarcely an office in the township that he has not held, and in each of these he has exercised the same care and judg- ment that he gives his private concerns. For a period of eight or ten years he held the office of postmaster at North Bennington, and in the fall of 1888 he was elected to represent the town of Bennington in the General Assembly of the State. In politics Mr. Welling was born a Democrat, but having lived to see the predictions of the old Whig party fulfilled in 1839, that the reduction or removal of duties would flood the country with foreign goods and break down our manufactures, and the ruin and scattering of a whole village near him and the destruction of the home market, that these operations, made for the farmers, convinced him that the policy of protection to our own manufac- tures was the true one for this country to pursue, and caused him to identify himself with the Republican party, with which he has continued to act until the present time. He holds that the theory of free trade would be all right were the conditions of the world equal, but that is an impossibility, and consequently this country should so legislate as to protect our own interests until such time as we are able to compete with the world.
In the early part of this sketch it is stated that on the 9th day of April, 1850, Charles E. Welling and Sarah D. Thomas were united in marriage. Of this union there have been born five children, of whom three are now living, Edward D., Hattie S, and George B. Welling.
T
IFFANY, ELI. The subject of this sketch was born in the little town of Horbury, not many miles from the city of Leeds, in the West Riding of Yorkshire, England, on the 9th day of November, 1830. His father was a
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carder in a woolen factory at that place, and, in accordance with the customs of the country, placed his son at an early age in the mill to learn the art of spinning. The opportunities of that period in that country for obtaining even a limited education were very meager ; but such as they were Eli made the most of them, and by his energy in later life supplemented the deficiencies of his early experience.
It may be interesting to briefly sketch the condition of the schools which were then provided for the working people. No such thing as a free school existed. Such facilities as were provided were maintained by private enter- prise. If parents were in circumstances to do so they sent their children to the " infant school" where they were instructed from five to fourteen years of age. But this course seldom embraced more than the rudiments of common English. Many were put into the factories to earn their own livelihood at eight or nine years of age. But the law as it then stood prohibited any em- ployer from working children between the ages of nine and twelve years in any mill or factory, unless they allowed them half a day each day for school. Hence, many mill owners, to beat the law, would maintain a school of their own, to which their juvenile help could be sent if their parents saw fit to avail them- selves of the opportunity. The schools of this character were usually conducted by some matron, frequently the wife of one of the mill hands, who could read and write, and who carried on the school in addition to her household duties. and thus aided to piece out the family income. The children of these " dummy" schools seldom advanced beyond learning to read. If they wished to learn writing or arithmetic, they would have to pay for it. As the working time was from twelve to fourteen hours per day, it can be judged what the mental con- dition of the children would be for study each day after their task was done. At fourteen they usually graduated from the school to the mill, where they then were expected to make "full time." Young Tiffany was employed in this way until he was nineteen years old, when a circumstance occurred which gave a turn to the tide in his affairs that ultimately "lead on to fortune."
In the year 1851 Josiah Dews, then representing the Waterbury Knitting Company, of Waterbury, Conn., went to England for the purpose of procur- ing certain machinery to be used in the works of the company. This being done he next sought to obtain the services of experienced operators to accom- pany him back to America. In doing this he fell in with Eli Tiffany, and a friend, Edwin Carter, and both having an eye to the main chance, accompanied Dews back to America. Tiffany by trade was a spinner, and knew nothing of knitting, but relying on his native push and ingenuity, took his chances and went into the employ of the company as an operator of knitting machines. Here he became familiar with the knitting frames then in use for making flat ribs for shirts and drawers, and soon discovered their defects, imperfect con- struction and general inaptitude for the work for which they were designed.
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HISTORY OF BENNINGTON COUNTY.
He remained in the employ of the Waterbury company for some six years, running the old " Powell" machines, and then went to Meriden, Conn., where he operated rib machines for Powell & Parker, for two or three years.
Satisfied that the rib machines then in use could be greatly improved, hc then went to Glastenbury, Conn., and commenced to make drawings and ex- periments for an automatic power rib machine. After a year and a half of study and experiment he succeeded in producing a successful machine which would knit ribs with welts and slack courses, for which he filed a caveat in the Patent Office on the 7th of October, 1858. Soon after this he became associ- ated with George Cooper, and assigned to him a half interest in his invention, and accordingly the patent was issued to Eli Tiffany as sole inventor, and George Cooper as assignee of an undivided half interest in the same. This patent was dated May 1, 1860.
At this time all rib knitting frames were operated by hand, and the pro- duction of goods in this way was very expensive to the manufacturers. But after the introduction of the new machine of Tiffany, which could be run by power, the cost of production of ribbed cuffs was reduced from forty cents per dozen to three and four cents per dozen. Here the inventor was confronted with the usual difficulty which all poor inventors have to contend against, lack of capital with which to build and introduce the machines. But at this stage of affairs Mr. Medlicott, of Windsor Locks, Conn., came to their assistance and they effected an arrangement with him to advance them capital to manufac- ture and introduce the invention and take his pay in machines. At Mr. Med- licott's request, Mr. Tiffany went to Windsor Locks to operate these machines, and while so employed a knitting needle manufacturer from New Hampshire accidentally became interested in their operation and was greatly pleased with their practicability and efficiency. He advised Tiffany that he was hiding his light under a bushel, and urged him to "get out of that place," and seek a wider field of operations. Accordingly two or three years later Tiffany & Cooper went to Cohoes, N. Y., and there sold the right to build the invention in that State to Campbell & Clute, of Cohoes. A partnership was also formed about the same time in which Eli Tiffany was a partner, under the name of William Woods & Co., for the manufacture of flat ribs at Cohoes. After residing about six years in Cohoes Mr. Tiffany became desirous of enlarging the business of manufacturing the machines in his own interest, but on account of the objec- tion urged by Mr. Wood, that Mr. Tiffany could not under the existing arrangements build machines in the State of New York, for sale outside of New York, without infringing the rights of Campbell & Clute, he determined to locate at Bennington, to which place his family accordingly moved in the year 1870.
Here Charles Cooper purchased his brother George's interest in the patent, and the partnership of Tiffany & Cooper was formed, which leased the south
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BIOGRAPHICAL
wing of Olin Scott's machine shop, and here in these contracted quarters, with four or five hands, they commenced the building of the machines which have now displaced in this country all other machines for the production of flat ribs for shirt cuffs and drawer bottoms.
Unbroken success seemed to attend all their efforts; and the concern went on enlarging the production of their goods until they were obliged to find more room. They then took the second story of his office building, which nearly doubled their accommodations. Their next enlargment consisted in the building of the large two-story building which is now occupied with the business, and which has been recently added to. Other material additions to their facilities have from time to time been made to meet the steadily increas- ing demands of the business.
In the year 1874 Mr. Tiffany's health became seriously impaired so that a surgical operation became necessary, and he went to the city of Troy for treatment. As his patent on the machine was about to expire he applied for an extension of the same, and it was while he was in the hands of the surgeon that, in conjunction with his counsel, A. F. Park of Troy, he prepared the neces- sary proofs and arguments to obtain such extension. The proofs showed that the use of Tiffany's invention had then effected a saving of about sixteen cents a dozen in the knitting of ribbed cuffs, and that they had nearly superseded the use of the old hand frames as well as the best known English power frames. Accordingly the patent was extended for a further term of seven years from the first day of May, 1874.
The additional protection thus obtained for his business afforded a warrant for devoting a greater share of his time and attention to the improvement and perfection of the rib machine, and to the development of an entirely new line of inventions for making full fashioned goods of the higher grades. Accord- ingly in the years immediately following the extension, Mr. Tiffany took out several patents for fashioning machines which have been extensively introduced, and enjoy a reputation for making as perfect fashioned goods as any that are made in the world. In 1880 the firm of Tiffany Brothers was formed, with Eli Tiffany as the senior partner and general manager. New buildings were erected for the new company which now employs about sixty hands, and is turning out an extensive line of first-class hosiery, both cut and fashioned.
In 1886 the partnership of Tiffany & Cooper was dissolved, Mr. Tiffany having purchased the interest of Mr. Cooper, and the present partnership of E. Tiffany & Son was formed by the admission of Mr. Frank M. Tiffany as the junior partner. Since the organization of the latter firm it has further ex- tended its business by leasing a shop at Amsterdam, N. Y., recently erected by Tiffany Brothers, where it carries on the manufacture and repairing of knit- ting machinery for its western customers. In the two shops from forty to fifty hands are employed in the manufacture of the various grades and kinds of knitting machines made by this firm. 70
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HISTORY OF BENNINGTON COUNTY.
During the past three years Mr. Tiffany has made a large number of im- provements on his various machines for which he has taken out recent patents. These improvements are of great value as improving the quality of goods made, and also increasing the product of the machines. Other inventions for the improvement of the same are being constantly worked out.
Mr. Tiffany takes a lively interest in everything that relates to educational matters and for the last six years has held the office of school trustees of the Bennington graded school, one of the leading educational institutions in the State.
The foregoing record contains a brief review of the leading events of the life of Eli Tiffany, who came to this country about thirty-eight years ago; possessing no means or capital of any sort, other than a thorough understand- ing of his trade as a spinner. This record certainly proves something, and that is that Eli Tiffany is, in his special field of labor, a man of remarkable capacity, and possesses all the rare qualifications that enable him to not only understand the character in detail of all the various parts of the intricate and delicate ma- chines he manufactures, and how to successfully manipulate them so as to pro- duce the best results, but also the executive ability to supervise and control large interests. Mr. Tiffany is a man of retiring nature, brief of speech, but entirely capable of clearly impressing his ideas upon all those with whom he comes in contact or competition. He readily wins friends and remains staunch to those who earn his regard. He possesses a large store of sound common sense and good judgment which seldom fail him in practical matters. He and his son, Frank M. Tiffany, have done much for their adopted town, par- ticularly as employers, and both are counted among the solid men of the village. It is no flattery to say that in the whole town of Bennington there is not another family which exemplifies so much versatility of brilliant talent as that of Eli Tiffany. His wife, Mrs. Phebe E. Tiffany, is highly esteemed for her unbounded benevolence, her active interest in church and village affairs, and for her natural musical talent. His son Frank ranks as one of the leading young men in the town, and one of most promising rising young business men. He is a pianist of no mean pretensions. The second son, Louis L., possesses rare ability as an inventor, musician and artist. The youngest son, William, although quite young, gives promise at no distant period of attaining eminence in musical composition. With an honest heart and open hand, with nothing but brains and pluck to fall back upon, no citizen of the town has done more to promote its prosperity than Eli Tiffany.
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BRIEF PERSONAL SKETCHES.
CHAPTER XXX.
BRIEF PERSONAL SKETCHES.
A DAMS, O. E., Arlington, was born in Plymouth, Windsor county, Vt., Jan- uary 26, 1845. On January 28, 1862, he enlisted in Company D, Seventh Vermont Volunteers; was discharged August 30, 1864, and came to Arlington in April, 1870. He commenced business as a general merchant, being a mem- ber of the firm of A. S. Adams & Sons, and in 1880 bought the interest of A. S., and the firm is now O. E. Adams. He has served as selectman, and was appointed postmaster July 20, 1885. His parents were A. S. and Lovina (Wheeler) Adams, of Plymouth, Vt. He was married February 26, 1867, to Jennie A. Kent. They have two children : Charles A. and Jennie Maud. Mrs. Adams was a daughter of Ashley and Mary (Cook) Kent, of Mt. Holly, Vt.
Aldrich, Amos, Woodford, (Bennington p. o.), was born in Clarksburg, Mass., June 23, 1829, and came to Woodford in September, 1849. He was en- gaged in the manufacture of lumber for himself until about ten years ago, when he became superintendent of the Glastenbury Railroad and Manufacturing Company. He has been selectman for about thirty years, and has also served the township as lister, overseer of the poor, justice of the peace, was town rep- resentative five years, and was a delegate to the Chicago convention that non- inated Cleveland in 1884. He was married July 4, 1850, to Martha J. Hitch- cock. They have had five children : Janet, married Tramer Harber; Annie, wife of F. W. Town ; Fannie, wife of George Mathers; George, merchant at Woodford ; Harriet, wife of Giles Harbour.
Amadon, C. M., Pownal, (Bennington p. o.), was born in Pownal, Septem- ber 15, 1846, and is now engaged in farming, owning a farm of two hundred acres. He was a son of Henry and Nancy (Mason) Amadon. Mr. Amadon was a native of Goshen, Mass., and Mrs. Amadon of Pownal. C. M. Amadon was married February 24, 1869, to Abbie Morgan. They have had a family of four children : Ella, who died November 15. 1877; Egbert H., Bennie F., and Henry. Abbie was a daughter of Abram and Armida (Barber) Morgan, who were natives of Pownal.
Armstrong, Martin V., Bennington, was born where he now resides, in the west part of Bennington, January 11, 1840, and was a son of Reuben and Sa- linda (Brown) Armstrong, who were natives of Bennington, Vt. Martin V. en- listed in June, 1862, in Company A, Fourteenth Vermont, on the call for nine months' nen, and served over a year, being discharged in the latter part of July, 1863 His company participated in the battle of Gettysburg. He was mar- ried December 26, 1859, to Adelaide Paddock. They have had a family of five children : Alice, who became the wife of Frank Paddock, of Bennington, both of whom died leaving two children : Lynn P., Cora, Lee F., and Ray. Mr.
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HISTORY OF BENNINGTON COUNTY.
Armstrong is now lister of his town. He is engaged in farming, owning a farm of ninety-six acres. His wife was a daughter of Daniel and Fannie (Fillmore) Paddock.
Arnold, W. D., Pownal, was born in Pownal, November 28, 1827. He is engaged in farming, owning three hundred acres, on which he has resided since 1858. He represented his town in the Legislature in 1864. and was State sen- ator in 1878. His parents were John and Susannah (Sherman) Arnold, who were natives of Hoosick, N. Y. Mrs. Arnold's people were among the early settlers of Pownal. W. B. Arnold was married November 30, 1851, to Rebecca McDonald, of Glastenbury. They have had one child, Charles J , of North Ad- ams. Mass. Rebecca was a daughter of Jeremiah and Lydia (Woodward) Mc- Donald.
Bailey, Apollos, R :adsboro, was born in Readsboro, September 23, 1813, and is engaged in farming, having a fine farm of four hundred acres. He has served his township as overseer of the poor for thirteen years; has been selectman for ten years, lister and representative of his town in 1863, 1864 and 1872. His parents were Caleb and Mercy (Stearns) Bailey. Mr. Bailey was born in Doug- las, Mass., in 1780, and came to this township in 1794. His wife was also a na- tive of Massachusetts. Apollos Bailey was married twice. His first wife was Belinda Dalrymple, who died in 1842. He was married again in 1845 to Sa- loma Dalrymple. They had one child, Norman A., who married Julia Whit- ney, a daughter of Jonathan E. and Maria Fairbanks Whitney of Halifax. Mrs. Bailey was a daugliter of James and Belinda (Davis) Dalrymple, of Readsboro, formerly of Whitingham.
Baker, William F., Bennington, was born in Williamstown, Mass., March 10, 1832, and was a son of Henry and Marcia (Talmadge) Baker. Mrs. Baker was a daughter of Major Samuel Talmadge of Williamstown. They came to Bennington in 1835. William F. was married October 11, 1859, to Catharine Armstrong, of Hoosick, N. Y. They have one child, Fred H. Mrs. Baker was a daughter of William and Mercy (Keach) Armstrong. Mr. Baker is engaged in farming, having a farm of one hundred and seventy six acres.
Barber, Charles H., Pownal, was born in Pownal township April 14, 1830, and is now engaged in farming, and owns seven hundred acres. He is also largely interested in the sale of stock and wool. He has served the town as selectman, and in 1863 was elected town representative, and in 1882 county senator. His parents were Electa and Elijah (Bushnell) Barber, natives of this township. The Barbers being among the first settlers in the town. Charles was married November 13, 1860, to Julia Jewett. They have had a family of four children : Edward C., of McMillan, editor and proprietor of the Hoosick Valley News, North Adams, Mass .; Harry E., Elijah, and Paul J. Julia was a daughter of Erastus and Clarissa (Carpenter) Jewett, of Pownal.
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BRIEF PERSONAL SKETCHES.
Barton, Myron, Shaftsbury, (South Shaftsbury p. o.), was born where he now resides April 17, 1821, and is engiged in farming, having about two hun - dred and twenty five acres. He has served his town as justice of the peace and town clerk; has been a member of the Legislature three times; was sheriff two terms, and has also been lister and town collector. His parents were Hi- ram and Lucy (Howlett) Barton, natives of this township. Gardner Barton, his grandfather, came from Rhode Island, and settled here about 1785. My- ron Barton was married September 1, 1846, to Adaline Galusha, who died June 1, 1849, leaving one child, Arthur S. Mr. Barton married his second wife, Abia E. Fisk, September 6, 1852. They have had two children : Alice M., wife of Harlow A. Bottum, and May P.
Bates, Daniel F., Pownal, was born in the town of Pownal, August 3, 1827, and came to where he now resides when about a week old. His grandfather, Daniel, came here from Rhode Island about 1776, and in 1827 purchased the farm where Daniel F. now resides. He also purchased several other farms and died in 1842, at the age of seventy-five years. Daniel FF. has been lister of his township for twelve or thirteen years; selectman several terms, also justice of the peace, and has acted as administrator and commissioner for several terms. He is engaged in farming, owning a farm of three hundred acres. He was a son of Daniel, jr., and Catharine (Westinghouse) Bates; his mother being an aunt of George Westinghouse, who patented the well-known air- brake. Mr. Bates was married June 2, 1852, to Harriet E. Stillman. They had five chil- dren : Harriet Matilda, who married Everett Potter, and died December 3, 1878; Fannie E., wife of Everett Potter: Audria M., wife of A. B. Gardner ; Daniel J., died January 22, 1880; and Orrin C., died January 11, 1877. Harriet was a daughter of Joseph C. and Almira (Gardner) Stillman.
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